2018 Oklahoma City Aviation Thread

[catch22]

I think it’s a matter of relative capacity being higher in the winter and spring, which allowed more room to grow in the slow months. For example, departure capacity may have been 175K in January while the previous year was 145K. While in july capacity was 230K vs 215K last year. In other words, airlines added more capacity in the shoulder months and slightly raised the capacity from last year for peak.

Flights are definitely full.

[gopokes88]

Yeah because at a certain point without more gates, planes and routes the growth starts to cap off. Only so many seats.

[jonny d]

I think it’s a matter of relative capacity being higher in the winter and spring, which allowed more room to grow in the slow months. For example, departure capacity may have been 175K in January while the previous year was 145K. While in july capacity was 230K vs 215K last year. In other words, airlines added more capacity in the shoulder months and slightly raised the capacity from last year for peak.

Flights are definitely full.

Are there any rumblings of new routes coming down the pike? A route to NYC would kill here, in my opinion, at least!

[no1cub17]

Are there any rumblings of new routes coming down the pike? A route to NYC would kill here, in my opinion, at least!

DL to LGA seems most likely - if we were to get NYC service. Seems like it's a ways off. AA has grown impressively but with the addition of PHL, seems unlikely they'd add LGA.

[no1cub17]

Yeah because at a certain point without more gates, planes and routes the growth starts to cap off. Only so many seats.

I doubt gates are the issue. Doesn't seem like we have nearly the gate utilization of bigger airports. The airlines seem to be adding flights when the demand is there - I don't recall hearing anyone saying they'd add a flight but couldn't due to gate space.

[catch22]

I doubt gates are the issue. Doesn't seem like we have nearly the gate utilization of bigger airports. The airlines seem to be adding flights when the demand is there - I don't recall hearing anyone saying they'd add a flight but couldn't due to gate space.

I will say the morning hours are pretty clogged up. But nothing that is hampering growth. American has to use Gate 1 in the mornings.

[OUman]

The gate clogging issue is most likely only for the busier summer season when airlines add capacity. In the winter months there are less flights because of decreased demand so not so much of an issue then. We're nowhere like Love Field where all gates are chock full all day long.

[gopokes88]

I’ve really started to hate love field and SW’s obsession with cramming 79,938,833 flights in and out of there daily has made me start tos our on them as well.

[damonsmuz]

Random, last night we flew in and there was an AirTran 717 sitting over near The FAA Center. Anyone know what's up with that aircraft and why it's still in AirTran paint ?

[shawnw]

possibly for CAMI training or research?

[gopokes88]

I’ve really started to hate love field and SW’s obsession with cramming 79,938,833 flights in and out of there daily has me starting to turn on them as well.

F'in autocorrect

[pure]

Random, last night we flew in and there was an AirTran 717 sitting over near The FAA Center. Anyone know what's up with that aircraft and why it's still in AirTran paint ?

Pretty sure it's for Metro Tech's aviation program, so training and what not.

[catch22]

Random, last night we flew in and there was an AirTran 717 sitting over near The FAA Center. Anyone know what's up with that aircraft and why it's still in AirTran paint ?

It’s actually a DC-9 (proper) and was donated at some point to Metro Tech. I went to school there for my aircraft mechanic license. It’s in very poor condition and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it sent to the scrapper at some point. It’s not even really used for training other than having something big to walk around and look at.

[no1cub17]

It’s actually a DC-9 (proper) and was donated at some point to Metro Tech. I went to school there for my aircraft mechanic license. It’s in very poor condition and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it sent to the scrapper at some point. It’s not even really used for training other than having something big to walk around and look at.

I was gonna say - if it was actually a 717 in good condition, I bet Hawaiian would've paid top dollar for it.

[OUman]

I noticed on FlightAware today that F9 has been flying 321-200s the past couple of runs between here and MCO. Most likely not a long-term thing but hopefully a sign that the service is gaining momentum. Then again it's F9, so you never know... But I don't think we've had scheduled 321s before at OKC so it's kind of cool. We have had 757s before briefly for the summer season by United for a month or two in the past.

[damonsmuz]

According to this article, United's increase in coverage from OKC-ORD is directly tied to college football. So, yay

https://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...ns/1122066002/

[gopokes88]

That’s awesome and hilarious

[jonny d]

I am surprised it took this long for their to be a true article about this. OKC should see a rise in incoming passengers for weeks games are in Norman. But maybe not as much of an increase in outgoing passengers for road games.

[amocore]

I noticed on FlightAware today that F9 has been flying 321-200s the past couple of runs between here and MCO. Most likely not a long-term thing but hopefully a sign that the service is gaining momentum. Then again it's F9, so you never know... But I don't think we've had scheduled 321s before at OKC so it's kind of cool. We have had 757s before briefly for the summer season by United for a month or two in the past.

Agreed.
I saw that too and I was wondering if OKC have seen such a big passenger planes before. There are 220 seats so it is a bit step up for an airport used to 70 to 160 seaters.

[PaddyShack]

I was wondering why I was seeing larger planes flying in... definitely nicer to watch larger airliners on approach than smaller jets.

[BG918]

I am surprised it took this long for their to be a true article about this. OKC should see a rise in incoming passengers for weeks games are in Norman. But maybe not as much of an increase in outgoing passengers for road games.

While 100% true with regard to OU the article also lists OSU which is probably split between OKC and TUL. I would be interested to see SWO's numbers during the fall compared to the rest of the year, I bet a number of fans traveling to OSU games now use the DFW-SWO nonstop on AA, especially Tech, Baylor, TCU and UT fans.

[OUman]

I am surprised it took this long for their to be a true article about this. OKC should see a rise in incoming passengers for weeks games are in Norman. But maybe not as much of an increase in outgoing passengers for road games.

OUN (Max Westheimer Airport here in Norman) gets its fair share of business jets and props pretty much every Saturday when we have a home game. The wildest day though was in 2016, when the OU-OSU (Ohio State) game coincided with President Trump's visit to OU (he was here to give a speech). That day, more than four dozen business jets and turboprops/piston props landed at OUN, and some departed for OKC after landing, probably since there are FBOs there (Atlantic Aviation e.g.). For one day, OUN felt more like Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, jets and props were coming in all day long, but the action really picked up around 3:00 in the evening, lasting till about 6:30 or so. That same day, I discovered much to my enjoyment that you can actually go outside of the terminal at OUN and watch planes - there's an outdoor patio with benches. How cool is that?!! I've been there several times since. But yeah, that game day I was standing within feet of over a billion dollars' worth of metal. The entire ramp in front of the terminal chock-a-block full of jets and props, and the other ramp, (where OU's flight school normally parks its own Piper Warriors) was full of larger business jets and props as well. It was quite a day and I was left grinning wide . Later on that night, I watched the departures being stacked on FlightAware as all those jets headed back out after the game. Looked more like flight information for a busy hub than a GA reliever airport. Incredible!

Agreed.
I saw that too and I was wondering if OKC have seen such a big passenger planes before. There are 220 seats so it is a bit step up for an airport used to 70 to 160 seaters.

Yep, like I said we've had 757s flown in for summer only service, which have similar seat counts. But that was only for a couple of summer seasons.

[mugofbeer]

When I was a kid before deregulation, I recall someone using a DC10 for a while.

As far as football ridership, it is a real thing. I will be flying in probably 5 times this fall. Its pretty obvious many on the planes are doing the same thing.

[OUman]

When I was a kid before deregulation, I recall someone using a DC10 for a while.

Not sure about way back then but for many years after deregulation, Sun Country Airlines used to fly a DC 10-10 (the one without the main center gear) between OKC and LAS. I remember seeing it on a couple occasions out there.

[catch22]

Frontier ran their fleet too hard and too tight this summer. They didn’t build enough slack in the schedule to get maintenance caught up on. I think they have been subbing 321’s in where they need to because they have a lot of 320’s out for maintenance.